Chapter 12

In slow motion, Kyle ran the tips of his fingers around the lace edging on her thong, stroking the bare skin of her bottom before sliding his hands to the front. Her legs trembled so much from his touch, she had to dig her fingers into his upper arms to give her support. He teased the seam where hip and thigh joined, stroking lightly, rubbing the flat of his thumbs over the silk covering her mound. Then, as if he could not wait another moment to uncover her completely, he hooked his fingers in the edges of her thong and eased the scrap of nothing down her legs.

He devoured her with his gaze, coasting it over every naked inch of her. His nostrils flared as he caught her scent, and the way he licked his lips made her even more turned on. At last, he took a step back, lifted her and, jerking back the covers with one swift movement, placed her gently on the bed. The look he gave her was devouring, as arousing as every touch.

She watched through heavy-lidded eyes as he kicked off his shoes and stripped out of his slacks and boxer briefs. Then her eyes popped wide open. Holy mother, this man was built. His body tapered from broad shoulders to a narrow waist and lean hips. The chocolate curls arrowed in a line down from his navel to his groin, filling out to a thick nest that framed his impressive manhood.

Pepper squeezed her thighs together, trying to still the powerful throbbing in the walls of her sex. She couldn't ever remember a time when a man had affected her as intensely as this one. The touch of his hands, his mouth, the magic strokes of his caresses all blended to drive her to a peak of excitement.

Raw power emanated from his body as he knelt between her thighs on the bed. The sheer masculinity of him lit a fire deep inside her body. She didn't know which aroused her more, the feel of his naked skin against hers, the voracious look in his eyes, or the light dance of his fingers along the swell of her tummy. Desire pooled hot and fierce within her. When the tips of his fingers moved lower to her mound, stroking the soft thatch of hair covering her flesh, she couldn't hold back the soft cry that whispered from her throat.

Pepper reached out her hands, wanting to touch his masculine perfection, to feel the hardness of the sculpted muscles. But when she reached for him, he shook his head, took her hands in his, and carefully licked the tip of each finger. His tongue was smooth and abrasive at the same time, sparking new tremors in her core.

"You smell so unbelievably good," he told her, his voice hot and sultry. "You taste good. I want to run my tongue over every inch of you, tasting and savoring."

"And if I want to do the same to you?"

"My turn first."

Bending low, he turned his attention to her nipples again, taking first one in his mouth and gently scraping it with his tongue then moving to the other. Pepper arched up to him, pressing her elbows into the bed to give herself more leverage. But Kyle had her trapped between his muscular thighs, limiting her movement.

By the time he was finished feasting on her breasts, she would have done anything, agreed to anything, if he would just satisfy the fire raging inside her. When he lifted his head, the smile he gave her was a clear indication he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

"I told you I wanted to take my time," he reminded her. "That hasn't changed. The more I touch you, taste you, the more I realize that's exactly what I want. I don't want to miss one delicious inch of you."

He eased himself back to gain greater access to her lower body. The path he had traced with his fingertips he now followed with his tongue, featherlike licks driving her crazy. She couldn't help the little moans that kept flowing from her mouth or the way her body arched and twisted up to him.

When he finally reached the place where he could trace lines with his tongue along the inside of each thigh, she thought for sure she would explode with unsatisfied need. His laugh was low and sensuous and all male as he pressed his mouth against her flesh. When he finally - finally! - ran the tip of his tongue against that sensitive closed seam of flesh, she thought every nerve would ignite.

"Please," she begged. "Oh, please."

Pressure and need continued to build and build as he licked and tasted. The touch of his fingers as he opened the wet pink flesh and exposed her to him fully nearly pushed her over the edge, but she wanted to wait, to hold on. To have everything.

But then his tongue captured her hot, sensitive bundle of nerves and pressed it between his lips. She reached for every ounce of discipline she knew to keep herself from exploding. She wanted to feel him inside her, filling her with his hot, hard length.

But, again, he was not to be denied. The hot lash of his tongue as he trailed it around and around, flicking it against the sensitive nub of her sex and then thrusting it between her slick velvety lips. He brought every one of her senses into play, so much so that she was sure she suffered from sensory overload. The coil of need deep inside her body tightened beyond endurance and then began to unwind, slowly, slowly, slowly.

Then, without warning, she exploded, body convulsing, her hot inner flesh spasming over and over and over against his tongue. When he added his fingers, it pushed her up to the crest again and then into a whirlwind of sensual pleasure.

Before she even realized what he was doing, he had retrieved a condom from his wallet, sheathed himself, and, lifting her hips to give him a better angle, plunged into her with one swift move. Without thinking, she wrapped her legs around him and drew him closer to her. His arousal was hot and thick and filled her completely.

"Okay?" he asked, his eyes focused on her in a penetrating gaze.

"Yes. More than. Please don't stop."

"Never intended to."

And then he took her on a wild ride, driving in and out of her with hard, steady thrusts. He still watched her intently, trying to gauge how close she was.

"Don't hold back," she said at last. "I'm there."

That seemed to be all he needed. His tempo increased, he thrust deeper and harder until, with a cry, he took them both over the edge into a spinning, shuddering orgasm. Pepper had no idea how long it went on, only that her body convulsed with his over and over and over.

At last, they were done and he collapsed forward, catching himself on his forearms, touching his forehead to hers. They stayed that way for a very long time, until the last of the aftershocks subsided. He looked into her eyes, and she was sure he could see clear into her soul. She felt as if she could see into his.

Finally, when she could breathe normally, she asked, "What just happened here?"

"Something momentous," he answered in that deep, sultry voice. "I'm beginning to think Fate had a reason for sending me here."

"I think I agree."

"No promises," he said, "but I don't think we're near finished here. I'd like to see where this goes."

"Me, too," she whispered.

"I'm glad we're on the same page." He kissed her nose. "Let me take care of business and then we can catch some sleep."

Pepper wondered if the romance novels were right and it was possible to fall in love with someone in less than twenty-four hours. Because she was sure that was what was happening to her. But as she watched the sexy flex of Kyle's backside as he walked to the bathroom, she wondered if she was letting herself in for a big disappointment.